Which is the Bergman part. As I see it. Igmar’s work isn’t for everyone. It moves on indefinitely to the right eyes. He is one of cinema’s greats and I’m not disrespecting him. But he’s not for the faint of heart much like Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966).
“Dear Trip Advisor, concierge offered poor service, attempted to grope me. One star.”
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“Lobby decor not great. Killed dog. Enslaved wife, daughter and myself. One star.”
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From what I gather, there were certain flaws with “Manos”.
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Only a few. 
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I love that riff, but I have to say that RT got a good one in there, too.
All the painful silence of Torgo standing up and then Bill says, “Oh, don’t get up, Torgo!”
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Now it can get a senior discount at IHOP.
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Even in Spooner, Wisconsin?
Manos is rather dry for a starter, movie wise, so I don’t think I’d recommend it to introduce to potential fans.
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Which according to the Host of the MST Hour, means, “Hands. The Hands of Fate.”
I still think it amazing that were it not for Frank, this movie would be lost to the ages, found only in the back pages of “FilmFax” on the order sheet from Sinister Cinema.
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Begin with Cave Dwellers (1984), Pod People (1983), or Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964) instead.
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Another reason Frank is irreplaceable. He curated seasons of the show singlehandedly. Without him, Manos (1966) would be unknown to us. Scary thought. Or a comforting one.
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As I recall, in the reunion press conference, Frank stated that this was his one regret; that Manos deserved the obscurity from which he rescued it.
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That’s the rub. They needed the movies and the movies needed them. Manos (1966) exploded larger than any and its fame is larger than life. They succeeded beyond their widest dreams. Enough to have regret.
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I can understand the regret, though. I believe it was Kevin who referred to Manos as, “The Zupruder Film: The Motion Picture.”
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People grow fatigued of what they’re known for. Saturation, exposure, hearing the question. Fame and association wear thin if it’s the same darned thing. Again and again. Manos (1966) is that ghost never failing to appear. They created a monster and it lives beyond them and despite them sometimes. Too much of a good thing in other words. The movie is horrible but the kind of wretched that made them famous. Like a past marriage, that kind of link won’t completely go away.
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So you’re saying Manos is the Stairway to Heaven of MST3K?
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It really depends on the personality of your prospective fan.
Personally, I enjoy Manos but it’s not in my Top 20. There are other genres of failed film which just scratch my itch a lot better.
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I know Joel hates the idea that Manos is the best episode of MST3K, but Manos is the best episode of MST3K.
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My personal experience is this.
I like “cheesy” movies a lot. I like them enough that I probably watch at least 4 movies a week that people would put into that category without riffs. I just love B-movies.
When I came to “Manos” The Hands of Fate, I was far from a novice. Nevertheless, I fell asleep on it twice: once unriffed and once with enhanced with MST3K puppet goodness. In order to watch this thing all the way through, I had to go to the Rifftrax Live Fathom Event showing in a theater filled with people.
Certainly, the MST3K episode is hilarious (which I felt I had to see again because I am insane and missed it the first time) as was the Rifftrax take.
However, Manos is certainly on my list of worst movies of all time because it is bad. Very, very bad. It is worse than Plan 9, which is a bizarre and shoddily-made but nonetheless entertaining film. Monster A-Go-Go gives it a run for its money, but there aren’t many others in that race.
I’ll watch a riffed version if it’s on, though.
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